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Love at the Aquarium
Love at the Aquarium is a story by PrinceBalto. Premise Wanted to try another fic in which Judy was something other than a cop. This time, this is an AU in which Judy doesn't become involved with law enforcement at all. Rather, she comes to work at the Zootopia World Aquarium. In my head-canon, only land mammals achieved sentience (It's easier to anthro-ize them), so they do keep marine mammals as we would in the real world. Meat-eating reptiles like snakes are fed on mouse-like non-sentient mammals I made up based on some prehistoric mammals I read about. Here, Judy becomes the keeper of the penguins, and meets and falls in love with Nick, who is one of the reptile keepers. Nick falls for her too. Finnick and Vixey also work there and are dating. The apartment Judy has here is not the Grand Pangolin Arms one. Rather, it's a nicer one at a different complex. Lastly, I believe that Brutus and Nero of the rescuers, who make cameos here, are American Crocodiles, but, since I can't use that term, they are called "Marshlands crocs" and come from the Marshlands area of Zootopia. Story The Zootopia World Aquarium, located in Savanna Central, in the downtown area, was one of the most magnificent attractions that Zootopia had to offer. Opened in March of 1986, it was filled with magnificent creatures of all kinds, from sharks, to reptiles and amphibians to various birds and marine mammals, the only variety of mammals to not achieve sentience. Every day, much to the glee of the head of the aquarium, Emmett Otterton and his wife, Sarah Otterton, mammals came in with their offspring to introduce them to the wonders of the sea and other habitats. It was on that day, June 7th, 2016, that the newest employee, Judy Hopps, a gorgeous twenty-four year old bunny with grey and white fur, beautiful purple eyes, a beautiful, fit body, curvacious hips and a great butt, was coming to work for the first time. Proudly, that morning, she had put on her new uniform, consisting of a light blue collared shirt, navy cargo shorts, and her name tag. "I can't wait," she said as she got in her car and drove off from her apartment toward the aquarium that morning. Judy was not a resident of Zootopia. Rather, she had originally come from the town of Bunnyburrow, which was 211 miles away. Fifteen years ago, in 2001, when Judy was nine years old, her class had taken a field trip to Zootopia to visit the aquarium as part of their study of the ocean. Judy remembered having been the kid in her class that was the most excited about the trip. This new job of hers invovled being the keeper of the penguins, which were the animals at the aquarium she enjoyed watching the most. It was after that she got the idea to work there one day. She researched everything that she could about penguins as she was getting older. Then, one day, she filled out an application for employment at the aquarium and sometime later was informed that she got it. She found an apartment in Zootopia and moved to the city. Finally, she pulled into the employee parking area. "Great. Right on time," Judy said aloud by way of giving voice to her excitement. The beautiful bunny headed up to the front door of the aquarium. Surrounding her on each side were palm trees. In the center, about midway up the path, was a beautiful fountain with a bronze shark as its centerpiece. At the front door, a glass enclosure surrounded a waterfall. The roar of the waterfall could be heard from where she was. As she got closer to the door, she could see her new employer, Emmett Otterton, and his wife, Sarah. Mrs. Otterton had been the one who had handled Judy's interview, though hers had been over the phone as Judy lived out of town, as she did for all who applied for employment at the aquarium. Mr. Otterton smiled proudly when Judy was close enough that her name tag could be read. "Ah, Judy. Welcome to the Zootopia World Aquarium. I am Emmett Otterton, as you know, and of course, you know my wife Sarah. From the look on your face, I believe that you are eager to see the place and then get to work. Come, we will give you a tour. We are just opening up. Before long, the patrons will arriving," he said. Mrs. Otterton motioned for Judy to follow them. Judy went inside the lobby. All around, there was art of the animals of the aquarium, including two crocodiles. Judy briefly got a look. "Those are Brutus and Nero, the two star attractions of the reptile and amphibian exhibit. They are Marshlands crocodiles, from the Marshlands. We have another crocodile in the outside area. He is a large Saltwater crocodile from Outback Island. His name is Tick-Tock," Mrs. Otterton explained. Judy nodded, eager to see more. From the ceiling hung statues of sharks and other fish. All around, the other employees, mammals of all kinds and both genders, were getting to work, going to their specific areas of the aquarium. The Ottertons continued with the tour, showing her the exhibits. They started with birds and fish that lived near the shore and moved on from there. "It's even better than I remember," Judy thought. There were more exhibits, including manatees, sea lions, seals, walruses, dolphins, Beluga whales, sharks, barracudas, exotic birds and tropical fish of various colors. Then, they got to the reptile and amphibians. It was a large room. Dominating it on the far end was a large, acrylic-fronted exhibit that was the home of Brutus and Nero. The two crocs were about thirteen feet in length. All around that were displays containing snakes, including some very highly venomous cobras and vipers, as well as a massive, 21-foot female python that the aquarium had named Kaa, lizards of all sorts, turtles, tortoises and brightly colored frogs such as Red-eyed tree frogs and Poison dart frogs. However, it was what stood in the middle of the room. It was a male Red fox who was twenty-eight years old, wearing the uniform of an aquarium employee. Mrs. Otterton smiled. "Nick, come and meet the new employee," she said. When the fox turned around at the sound of his name, Judy was stunned silent. He was the handsomest male she had ever seen! He had vibrant, emerald-green eyes. Judy felt something that she never expected to feel for a fox...smitten. It was the same for Nick. He was smitten by the bunny and her beauty. "Hello and welcome to the Zootopia World Aquarium. My name is Nick Wilde," he said in a handsome voice. Judy smiled. "Uh...I'm Judy Hopps. Pleased to meet you," she replied. Mr. Otterton glanced at his phone. "Well, it's time to open. We have to go. Nick, please show her to the penguin area. Judy, later, we will give you access to the exhibit so you can help the care team work with the birds," he said. Nick saluted his boss, and the two otters left. The fox then looked back at Judy as they began to walk to Judy's area. "Well, shall we get you to the penguin area? I guess you're one of the keepers there. I am one of the keepers in the reptile and amphibian hall," he told her. As they walked, Judy wanted to know more. "So, how long have you worked here?" she asked. Nick smiled at the bunny. "Oh, about a year. I help the other keepers in my department, though, per my mother's wishes, I don't handle any of the dangerous creatures. The only ones I work with are the harmless ones, like the Ball python and the lizards. I leave the handling of Brutus, Nero, Kaa and the others to mammals that are bigger and more experienced than me," he said with a smile. Judy thought about it. "I don't blame your mom," she replied. Nick nodded. "She's great. Her name is Marian Wilde and she's the most beautiful vixen in all of Zootopia," he said, showing a picture of her on his phone. Judy looked at the photo. Marian was indeed a beautiful vixen. She was standing next to a handsome male fox, whom Nick said was his father and his mother's husband Robin Wilde. "Do they work here too?" she continued. Nick shook his head. "No, they work in our family business, but my lovely cousin, Vixey, and her boyfriend Finnick do work here with me. Vixey works in the area with the seals, sea lions and walruses, while Finnick works in the shark area," he said. Judy was thinking about how handsome the fox was, though she was trying to get her job into her head as they arrived at the penguin exhibit. It was a large enclosure with an above-water area and then a deep pool where the birds could swim. The acrylic panel was very wide, allowing views of above and below water. Judy was excited to see the birds. It was a mixed species exhibit of King, Rockhopper, Gentoo, Adelie and Chinstrap penguins. Nick smiled. "Well, I guess I will see you later on. Perhaps we can have lunch together or something," he said. Judy smiled. "That sounds great. See you then," she replied. Nick then headed off to his own area to begin telling the visitors about the scaly wonders that he helped care for. Judy looked at the penguins. It was just like when she was here as a child. Before long, visitors were looking at the birds and listening as Judy talked about them. Little did anyone know, however, that two dangerous mammals had just entered the aquarium. One was a grey male bunny with black head markings, while the other was a female sheep. The bunny was Jack Savage, while the sheep was Dawn Bellwether. Interestingly, the two were a couple. They were also leaders in the city-wide organized crime group the Syndicate. Each district in Zootopia had a leader. Jack was the leader for the Forest District, while Bellwether was the leader for the Meadowlands. Jack had a plan: steal Kaa, who was the largest snake in captivity in Zootopia, and sell her for a profit on Zootopia's illegal underground reptile black market, an area that Jack had his paws in. Reptiles had always fascinated him, particularly snakes. He owned several snakes at home, all of which were smaller members of the python and boa family such as the Ball python and Rosy boa. "Our plan is foolproof. We just need to examine the specimen and her enclosure," he said quietly. Above the excited cheers of the other aquarium patrons, it was unlikely that someone would overhear his remarks. Bellwether gave him a curious look as they moved from the lobby into the first exhibit area. "Are you sure that Duke can assist Doug, Woolter and Jesse in taking that snake?" she asked just as quietly. Jack nodded. Duke, full name Duke Weaselton, was a male weasel who was a low level member of his gang. While, Bellwether, who hated predators and would not employ them due to a bullying incident when she was a lamb, Jack was slightly more tolerant. However, he considered Duke expendable. Doug, Woolter and Jesse were Bellwether's top enforcers. "Yes," Jack replied. Heading through the exhibits, they eventually entered the reptile and amphibian area. They went right to Kaa's exhibit. The massive python was coiled around a branch. Jack smiled. "What a magnificent reptile," he said. Though Nick was in the room, he was busy giving a talk to some kids about crocodiles at Brutus and Nero's exhibit. There was nothing about the bunny and sheep that drew his attention. Jack and Bellwether stood at the python exhibit, studying it. "It's easy. We just need to get the keys to the lock. Good thing that Doug, Woolter and Jesse are on that right now," Jack said. In his mind, the bunny criminal was fantasizing about the money he thought he would make by selling this python on the black market. Bellwether looked back toward Nick as the cubs, calves and pups left with their parents. The fox saw the bunny and sheep looking at Kaa and went over. "Her name is Kaa, and she is a Rock python. She is the biggest snake in captivity," he said. Bellwether knew that they had to get back to their henchmammals, who were likely nearly done with their task by now. However, to throw off this employee, she had to act interested. "What do you feed her?" she asked. Nick smiled. "We feed her whole chickens, unlike the smaller snakes here, who eat the small furry critters they would eat in the wild," he explained. Jack nudged Bellwether as if to say that it was time to go. They left, leaving Nick behind. At the penguin exhibit, Judy was loving talking to the guests. Before long, lunch time arrived. Nick went to the lobby. Judy met him there. "Ready for lunch?" the fox asked her. Judy nodded. "Yes," she said. Just as they turned to leave, they heard voices behind them. "Nick, aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" said a deep male voice. A female voice joined in. "Yeah. I heard that we had a bunny working here now," it said. Nick and Judy turned to see a beautful Red fox vixen and a little Fennec fox. These were Nick's cousin Vixey and her boyfriend Finnick. Nick smiled at the both of them. "The stories are true, my friends. Here she is, Judy Hopps, our new penguin wrangler," he said. Vixey and Finnick looked at the beautiful bunny. Vixey spoke first. "Hello, Judy. I'm Vixey Wilde, Nick's cousin. With me is my boyfriend, Finnick," she said. Judy smiled politely and waved. "Hello. As Nick said, I am Judy and I work with the penguins. Nick and I are about to head out to lunch," she replied. Vixey nodded. "Well, good to meet you," she answered. Finnick entered the talk. "Enjoy your time with the penguins," he added. Nick and Judy nodded and headed out for lunch. Meanwhile, Doug and Duke had finished their mission to get the spare keys. They met up with Jack and Bellwether in the lobby. Doug nodded. "We have the keys," he said. Jack and Bellwether were pleased. "Good. Now, let's go. We come back tonight," Jack said. Everyone nodded. They got out of there before anyone could get suspicious. Nick took Judy to a nearby restaurant that was favored by much of the aquarium staff. Ordering their food and getting their drinks, they sat down together. "So, are you from Zootopia?" the fox asked. Judy shook her head. "I am from Bunnyburrow," she replied. Nick was curious. "Bunnyburrow? That's 211 miles away. How does a lovely bunny like you end up tending penguins at the Zootopia World Aquarium," he asked, very obviously making eyes at her. Judy smiled, noticing what was going on. "Oh, I took a school field trip to the aquarium when I was nine years old. I loved each and every part of it, but my favorite part of it all was the penguins. From then on, it was a dream of mine to come to Zootopia to work here. I love it. Mr. and Mrs. Otterton are so nice," she said, flirting with him back. Nick smiled. It was obvious to him that they shared an attraction. This was not the kind of interest that led to mere friendship, but one that could very well lead to romance. Judy gave a sweet smile. "Hmm, I wonder if Dad and Mom would be ok with me dating a fox?" she thought to herself. Nick returned the smile. Through lunch, they talked about each others pasts. "So, how about you? How did you end up working here?" Judy asked him. Nick thought back. "Well, I have actually worked here since I was twenty-four. I have always loved it here. The reptile and amphibian hall is one of my favorite attractions at the place, so, Mom helped me fill out an online application, and Mrs. Otterton gave us a call and I got an interview. She liked my answers so much that she hired me on the spot," he stated. Judy was impressed. "Wow, that's like what happened to me. We have a lot in common, I guess," she replied. Nick smiled and looked into her eyes. "Yeah, it's wonderful, just like you," he answered. Slowly but surely, Judy was falling harder and harder for this handsome fox. On Nick's end, he was falling for her as well. After lunch, Nick and Judy returned to the aquarium. "Hey, what are you doing next?" he asked the bunny. Judy thought about it. "I have to see Mrs. Otterton about the keys to the penguin habitat. I am supposed to go in and help the rest of the crew maintain the birds," she told him. Nick nodded. "All right. Well, I am going to be outside after a bit, helping in a feeding presentation with Tick-Tock. It's an amazing show. Sometimes, employees check out the shows when they have nothing to do," he told her. Judy smiled. "Sounds great, my brave reptile and amphibian wrangler," she said. Nick nodded. "See you around, Judy," he replied. Judy saw the romantic spark in the fox's eyes. "See you," she told him. With that, Judy turned and began to wiggle her tail to draw his attention as she glanced over her shoulder. Nick was definitely hooked. He went back inside to chill a bit before the presentation. Vixey and Finnick approached. "So, how are things going?" Vixey asked. Nick smiled. "I think I'm in love," he replied. Finnick snickered playfully. "With the bunny?" he asked. Nick nodded. "She is a beautiful girl, and we get along really well," he said. Vixey had an excited smile on her face. "I am rooting for you. Way to go, Nick!" she exclaimed. They all had a good laugh. Soon, it was time for the crocodile feeding demonstration. Nick went to go get Judy. The bunny had just returned from her work with the penguins, and, now that she didn't really have anything to do, she was quite eager to get a look at Tick-Tock, to see just how massive he was. She knew very little about crocodiles in general, and, since her new crush was a reptile wrangler, she was interested in learning. "All right, Nick, I am ready," she said. Nick nodded proudly. "Well then, beautiful, follow me," he replied. Nick then turned and headed for a door that led to the outside exhibits. Judy followed close behind. That charmer of a fox had just called her beautiful. Now she was certain that he liked her as more than a friend. The door led out to a balcony that was high enough that mammals who looked out could see much of Zootopia. Heading down some stairs, they headed toward Tick-Tock's enclosure. "You have to see him to believe him, Judy," he told her. A moment later, they arrived. Judy looked into the exhibit. It was then that she saw the enormous Saltwater crocodile for the first time. He was in the water, his head visible. He was twenty-three feet long, the maximum length for his kind. Nick smiled. "Here he is, Tick-Tock, the biggest captive crocodile in Zootopia," the fox said with delight. Judy was amazed. To see this huge reptile whose kind had outlived the dinosaurs was thrilling. Nick smiled at her. "Well, here he is," he said. Judy was watching the great scaly beast in awe. "Wow, calling him big is an understatement," she replied. Nick nodded and began telling the story that Mrs. Otterton had told him about how Tick-Tock had come to the aquarium years earlier: he had been a wild crocodile living in the river system of Outback Island. However, he got too close to the areas wher mammals were, and had to be relocated. The Ottertons had heard about this and offered to take him. Soon, it was time for the presentation. A moment later, more mammals began to congregate around the exhibit. An instant later, as Judy took her spot in the crowd, Nick turned as a large, handsome male Bengal tiger of forty years of age named Jason Stripeman, who was the aquarium's senior reptile and amphibian keeper, a fact that was obvious from his aquarium uniform, appeared from a nearby staff door, carrying a large, white bucket containing a whole raw chicken and a feeding tong. Nick smiled as he opened the pen and entered. Tick-Tock saw the white bucket and went under the water. Nick turned to face the crowd. The show was at hand. "Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the Zootopia World Aquarium. Today, you are going to see Tick-Tock, Zootopua's biggest captive crocodile, be fed. Now, Tick-Tock is a Saltwater crocodile from Outback Island..." Judy listened intently as Nick spoke of how the Saltwater crocodile was the largest reptile species, how crocodiles and alligators had the strongest bite of any organism except a full-grown Tyrannosaurus rex, and just how dangerous this reptile was. Jason picked up the chicken from the bucket with the tong and splashed it in the water a few times. Suddenly, Tick-Tock erupted from the water without warning. Judy was startled and jumped back, but then cheered with the other mammals present. Shortly thereafter, the presentation ended. The crowd left. Jason exited the exhibit. Just as he finished locking the gate, Nick motioned for him to come over. Jason did so. Nick looked at him and then Judy before looking back at Jason. "Jason, I'd like you to meet the aquarium's newest employee, and my new crush, Judy Hopps. She works with the penguins. Judy, meet my friend and the senior reptile keeper at this aquarium, Jason Stripeman," he said. Judy was a bit surprised by the fox already calling her his crush, but liked it. Jason could see that Judy was smitten with Nick from the way she was looking at him. This wasn't a surprise to him. He knew for a fact that many of the female mammals that worked at the aquarium, at least the unmarried ones, found Nick dreamy. He smiled at her. "Welcome to the Zootopia World Aquarium. I hope you continue to enjoy your new job," he said to her. Judy smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Stripeman. You are very brave to go in there with the crocodile like you did," she answered. Jason nodded and they talked a bit more. After that, everyone went back to their respective jobs. When it was closing time, Nick and Judy smiled at one another. "Well, Judy, it was nice meeting you. I will see you tomorrow," Nick said. Judy nodded. "See you tomorrow, you handsome fox," she told him in a flirtatious manner. Though Judy had never been in a romantic with any male in her life, she knew how to be flirtatious. Nick smiled and watched her head off to her car. A moment later, Nick left too. Soon enough, all employees were gone. When night fell, Jack and Bellwether returned to the aquarium with their henchmammals, including several additional rams. Jack smiled. "Ah, what a wonderful evening for us," Jack said. Bellwether had noticed the large wooden crate that Doug and the other rams dragged behind them. "I assume that is how we will be transporting the snake?" she said. Jack nodded. "Yes, darling. However, first, we need to cut the security cameras and make the security staff unable to find us," he said. Doug nodded. "Leave that to the weasel and I. Once that's done, I will return and get us inside the main area," he said. Jack gave a small nodd. "We will be waiting," he said. Doug, Duke and the others took off. Bellwether looked at Jack. "Just what do you plan on using the money for?" she asked. Jack held her close. "Oh darling, I have a foolproof plan. The money from the sale of this python will finance our plot against Shere Khan. One he is out of the way, we will take over the Syndicate," he replied. Though Bellwether enjoyed the idea, she was a bit nervous about it. Though she and Jack were powerful in their own right, they were hardly the most powerful Syndicate members. Those positions belonged firmly to Shere Khan and Mr. Big. Clearly, Jack fantsized about wielding their level of power. He truly believed that this would propel him to the top. Following that, he let go of Bellwether. Some time later, the call came in from Doug. They had subdued the guards and disabled the security. "Our destiny awaits, darling," Jack said to Bellwether. Bellwether nodded, but said nothing. They then entered the aquarium. The main lights were a bit darkened, but it was light enough to still see. They passed the main exhibits until finally, they arrived at the reptile and amphibian area. A moment later, Jack was looking at his massive prize. He smiled. "Big night tonight, you're coming with me," he whispered. Doug stepped forward with the spare key to unlock the cage. He put it in the lock and turned it. Used to the cage opening when she was going to be fed, Kaa slithered forward. Doug had been told how to handle the snake by Jack. In one quick motion, he grabbed her behind the head and gently pulled her forward. The other rams joined in and helped pull the huge, heavy snake from the cage. Jack very quickly pulled the lid off the crate. The rams put Kaa inside and shut the lid. Jack smiled. "We have the snake! Let's go!" he said. They took off. Early that next morning, Mr. and Mrs. Otterton arrived to start getting ready for the day. They dropped their young sons off at school and went to perform their customary traditional inspection of the exhibits before the staff arrived. However, they were met by the Wolf head of the security department. "We were robbed last night! Kaa is not in her cage. She was taken by a group of rams, a weasel, a bunny buck and a ewe," he said. Mr. and Mrs. Otterton shared a look. "We need to take this to the ZPD," she said. Without further discussion, they went to do so. It wasn't a particularly long time until Chief Bogo and several officers arrived at the aquarium. Normally, Bogo would not have come along, but, due to this being a major theft, he decided to join the action. He looked at Mr. and Mrs. Otterton, as well as the wolf guard. "All right, please tell me what happened," He began. It was the wolf guard who spoke. "We were subdued by a group of rams, and our communications and cameras were cut off. The next thing we know, Kaa, the aquarium's prize Rock python, was missing. Also in the group were a male weasel and bunny, and a female sheep," he said. Bogo nodded and took notes on a notepad. At that moment, Nick and Judy entered for work. While walking in, they had been exchanging very obviously romantic banter. It was then that they saw the ZPD. "What happened?" Judy asked. Mrs. Otterton approached them. "Oh, Kaa was stolen from her cage last night. The ZPD is here getting what they need to begin investigating," she said. Judy's eyes went wide. "Well, I hope that this is solved soon," she replied. By now, other employees, including Jason, were beginning to congregate. Bogo was trying to make a plan. Then, his cell phone went off. Jack Savage was in the ZPD records, and Bogo had an operative in his organization to investigate him, including his involvement in the black market reptile trade. It was this operative, a male puma, that was calling now. "Sir, are you busy?" the puma asked. Bogo nodded. "Yes. The Zootopia World Aquarium's Rock python was stolen overnight. All we have to go on currently is that a male bunny was among the thieves," he said. The puma was ready. "Well, sir, Jack Savage is the bunny in question. I heard him talking about a python that he stole from the aquarium. If you move now, we can get him. As you know, his home is in the Forest District..." he said, also giving the address. Bogo nodded. After he finished the call, Bogo gathered the officers with him, as well as the reptile and amphibian team, including Nick and Jason. The team gathered their equipment. Before they left, Nick hugged Judy. "Well, Judy, I will be back soon," he said. Judy smiled, then, without warning, leapt up on Nick and kissed him deeply. Nick was stunned, but very much enjoyed it. "That was for luck," she said, batting her eyes. Nick smiled. "I will take it," he replied as he put her down. With that, Nick left with the joint team. Mrs. Otterton looked at Judy. "Well, that didn't take you two long," she said. Judy sighed and smiled. At Jack's residence, Jack had asked one of his contacts to come and see if they were interested in purchasing Kaa. He smiled at Bellwether. "Oh darling, we are going to make so much money from this sale," he said, tapping the crate that held Kaa. Before Bellwether could reply, Bogo and his officers burst in. "FREEZE! YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST!" Bogo shouted. Jack, Bellwether and their henchmammals were shocked as the police officers handcuffed them. Meanwhile, the reptile and amphibian team headed in to transfer Kaa into a carrier. Nick was pleased. "Time to go," the handsome fox said. They then began the trip to the aquarium. Upon arrival, Nick was greeted by a celebratory bunny kiss courtesy of Judy. He held her as the others got Kaa back to her cage. "How would you like to be my girlfriend?" he asked hopefully. Judy smiled. "I'd love to," she answered. They kissed again. That day, Zootopia had seen a fox and a bunny find love at the aquarium. Category:Stories taking place at the Zootopia World Aquarium Category:Stories where Judy is something other than a cop Category:Zootopia AU Category:AU Fanfics Category:Romantic fics Category:Oneshots Category:PrinceBalto fanon Category:PrinceBalto fanfics Category:Fics not in a particular continuity Category:Stories that occur at the Zootopia World Aquarium Category:Finnick/Vixey Category:Finnxey stories Category:NickXJudy Category:WildeHopps stories Category:Stories where Nick and/or Judy have different occupations than the movie Category:Jack Savage/Dawn Bellwether fics Category:Jack SavageXDawn Bellwether Category:PrinceBalto's AU library